Babies born in the late summer and early autumn months tend to become taller and stronger than babies born during the rest of the year, according to a new survey released last week.

The results of the Bristol University study said that a mother's exposure to the sun determines how much vitamin D she and her baby receive during pregnancy.

The more vitamin D in the human body, the wider and stronger the bones tend to be, the survey said.

Researchers studied 7,000 children born throughout the year, recording their height, weight and bone area. By the age of 10, subjects born during the summer and early autumn months were, on average, about half a centimeter taller than the other children and had more than 12 sq. cm. of additional bone area.

Mothers looking to increase their vitamin D intake can take supplements or spend more time outside, study authors said.